Tears of the Unicorn
by LordYog
Summary: The Great Old Ones come to the Abbey


Part 1

Lady Grantham was up late, preparing herself for some strangely secretive engagement that didn't begin until midnight. Baxter was finally dismissed around eleven, and she expected to be the last person about in the servants quarters. Before she turned in, she felt the urge to step outside for a bit of fresh air. When she did so, she was surprised to find Molesley there sitting on a crate, his face turned up to the shining moon.

"Mr. Molesley, what are you still doing up at this hour?" she asked.

For a long moment, he didn't speak. As her eyes adjusted to the night, she could see that everything was covered in dew, including Molesley's face. As she was about to ask why he had been standing out in the rain, he said in a quiet voice and without looking at her, "I've just had the most incredible experience. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I've heard a lot of strange things in my day," she said hesitantly.

"Nothing like this." She could hear something like awe creep into his voice.

"Mr. Molesley, you're worrying me. I must insist you tell me what's going on, or at least come inside out of the damp and get yourself to bed."

Another long moment passed. Then he turned to her slowly and said, "This isn't rain. Not any normal rain, at any rate."

"I don't understand…"

"They're tears. Not my tears, mind you. They're...I know this is going to make me sound looney. But it's true, Ms. Baxter, and I feel like I need to tell you. So please just listen before you have me sent away to Bedlam."

"Okay…"

"They're the tears of a unicorn, Ms. Baxter. Or something like a unicorn...maybe a whatdoyoucallit, a flying horse…"

"Pegasus."

"Yes, Pegasus. Some great winged creature. I don't quite know how to describe it, but I could feel each individual drop as it landed on my face. And as I felt each one, I could _see _where it had come from. I could see the creature in the sky, up close. I could see the drop as it fell through the air and landed in the middle of my forehead. And I could see other things too. Things that made me feel dreadful and joyous at the same time."

"Mr. Molesley, I feel I should have someone fetch the doctor. I think you've caught a fever..."

"Great lumbering beasts, Ms. Baxter, like none that have ever walked this earth outside of fairy stories, and perhaps not even there. Great lumbering beasts shambling across the open plain, underneath that big bright moon. I don't know where they were, Ms. Baxter, but I know where they're going. They're coming here."

As Baxter listened to Molesley speak, she couldn't help but look up at the moon. She hadn't realized it was supposed to be full tonight. A part of her recognized that what Molesley was saying was sheer madness, and that she really ought to run and get help. But that part was small and quickly shrinking as the bright shining face of the moon filled her mind. She felt herself sitting on the crate next to Molesley. They sat in silence for a while. Then, distractedly, she realized that there were voices. Low voices, singing words she could barely make out in a language that she didn't recognize. And then she understood that the voices belonged to her and Molesley. She began to cry tears of great joy.

Part 2

Daisy awoke from a dream in which imps with pitchforks shaped like addition symbols were chasing numbers around the pages of a ledger. "I really must stop doing my exercises before bedtime," she said groggily to herself.

As she became more conscious, she began to make out a noise coming from outside her door. It was soft and low, and almost musical, like hymns heard from a distance. She sat up from bed and reached to light a candle. The flare of the match ruined her vision for a moment. While she sat adjusting to the light, she listened more closely to the sound and could just make out individual voices. So it was singing. Was the family up late listening to the wireless?

She got up, put on her robe, picked up the candle and walked to her door. She paused for a moment to listen again, and now it seemed that voices were right on the other side. She opened the door a crack and peered out. When her eyes adjusted again, she could see Mrs. Hughes kneeling on the floor of the hallway, her back to Daisy. She threw open the door and rushed out.

"Mrs. Hughes, are you alright?" she whispered. Mrs. Hughes did not respond. Daisy walked to her, and as she did she realized that the sound she had heard from her room was coming from Mrs. Hughes. "Mrs. Hughes, you're scaring me."

Daisy rounded to the front of the woman and saw that her eyes were open and her face was turned up to the ceiling. Her mouth was slack and a low singing was coming from it, much lower, Daisy thought, than even Mrs. Hughes' baritone was capable of. Daisy could just barely make out words, although they were certainly not in the common tongue. Panicking, Daisy reached out and shook Mrs. Hughes gently. When Mrs. Hughes still didn't respond, she made up her mind to rouse Carson.

Daisy hurried toward the male servants' quarters, but halted abruptly as she passed the dining hall. All the other servants were there, seated around the table like it was dinner time. But there was no food. And they were all in their night clothes. Most had not even put on robes. They were just sitting there, each staring straight ahead, their mouths open just like Mrs. Hughes'. They were all singing that same song, low and soft, but in perfect harmony.

"Oh my god...what are you all doing?" she cried. No one looked up at her. She ran to Ms. Patmor and shook her, to no avail. Then Carson, with the same result. "Have you all gone mad? Or have I?"

With no other option, Daisy decided she must wake the family. She would first wake Lady Mary, and then have her wake the Lord and Lady Grantham. She rushed up the stairs to the main floor and was headed toward the upper staircase when she saw bright light coming from the windows and under the doors on one side of the house. Thinking that the family might be awake in the living room, she went there and knocked loudly before throwing open the door and rushing in. Indeed there was a fire in the fireplace, but she could only see one person in the room.

As she rushed over to him, she said, "Mr. Branson, I'm sorry to barge in but I need your help! The servants…"

Mr. Branson was staring into the fire, a long-forgotten drink in hand. He did not look up. "Oh no, not you too! What's happening here?"

Daisy didn't know what to do. Looking around in indecision, she suddenly understood the source of the bright light that she had seen earlier. Through the windows, she could see a great bonfire blazing out on the lawn. She turned to stare at it fully, struck dumb with fear and wonder. From behind her, as if from a great distance, she heard Mr. Branson say, "Happy Walpurgis Night, Daisy."

Part 3

At some point, Daisy became aware that she was walking across the lawn toward the flames. As she grew closer, she could see the silhouettes of people gathered in front of the bonfire. They weren't standing still, but instead appeared to be cavorting about - jumping, running, spinning, falling to the ground.

They still hadn't noticed Daisy even when she had gotten close enough to make out bodies and faces. It was the family Grantham. In her shock, she didn't realize for several moments that many of them had shed their clothing and had only their underthings to protect their modesty. Daisy tore her eyes away and froze between wanting to get help and to run away in embarrassment.

Daisy didn't know how long she'd been standing there like that when she felt a tug on her hand. As she started and pulled her hand away, she saw it was little Sibbie, stark naked. Sibbie smiled up at her and said in a sing-song voice, "We've been waiting for you, Daisy. The Great Old Ones are nearly here, and they can't wait to meet you!"


End file.
